Alles-Omoton is offering their three level aluminum laptop riser unit for only $16.62. They have a 99% positive feedback so little risk considering the company’s Amazon rating. If you are not a Prime member, orders that exceed $25 will qualify for free shipping. A recent price drop in addition to an on-page coupon reduces the total price 33% from list price. With room for any modern MacBook, this aluminum stand is also able to uphold a majority of PCs and Chromebooks, as well. This unique offering wields an adjustable design that’s uncommon among this style of laptop stand. Owners can choose between a 5.7-, 6.3-, or 6.8-inch height. This will undoubtedly lead to improved ergonomics and perhaps even a better arrangement for multi-monitor setups. Rated 4.7/5 stars.

OMOTON 3-Level Aluminum Laptop Riser features:

• The laptop riser offers 3 height choices (5.7/6.3/6.8 inch) to meet your different needs. It provides optimal viewing angles.
• This laptop stand for desk helps to relieve neck and shoulder pain. It also creates more space under your PC, which helps you to organize your desk.
• The laptop holder is made of reinforced aluminum alloy. It can support up to 11lbs of weight. The soft silicone pads protect your laptop from scratches.

Click to view more details, pricing and size options.

GetUSB.info does mention Amazon affilate products to help pay for the cost of running our blog.

It’s been reported for more than four years that Apple has been trying to solve non-invasive blood glucose testing — and continues to run into problems.

Apple has not disclosed the specific technical issues during development, but it’s almost certainly due to inconsistent test readings. In other words, whatever method Apple is using to estimate blood glucose levels is not reliable enough to meet regulatory approval standards.

Hey Apple — if you want to solve your glucose testing problem, listen up.

It is well documented that blood glucose levels correlate directly with blood viscosity, or how thick and fluid the blood is.

Our take is that Apple’s current sensor approach isn’t accurate enough to determine viscosity, which makes reliable glucose readings impossible.

That makes sense when you consider where Apple Watch sensors are located. They’re attempting to measure through skin that’s simply too thick — the wrist.

Here’s the hot tip for Apple (@AppleHCG @tim_cook):

Forget using the Apple Watch itself as the primary sensing device. What Apple should build is a mouthpiece accessory that communicates with the Apple Watch and scans the lingual frenulum.

The lingual frenulum is the thinnest skin on the human body, making it ideal for optical scanning. Measuring opacity in this area would allow for far more accurate assessment of blood viscosity — and therefore glucose levels — than scanning through the wrist.

The mouthpiece would sit under the tongue with a sensor aimed directly at the lingual frenulum. It would scan blood circulation and analyze color and opacity to determine glucose levels in real time.

This under-the-tongue device would only be used when a reading is required. The scan itself would likely take no more than five seconds.

For accuracy, the mouthpiece would read from both the left and right sides of the lingual frenulum. Higher blood viscosity results in darker, denser blood and greater opacity. Lower glucose levels produce lighter, less opaque blood.

The mouthpiece would communicate wirelessly with the Apple Watch to transmit the glucose reading.

Obviously, this is not a finished product design. Engineering, validation, and clinical testing would need to be handled by Apple’s healthcare team. That said, this concept points in a direction far more likely to succeed than wrist-based optical sensing.

If someone at Apple reads this article, we hope they have the integrity and respect for original ideas to reach out. gmo (at) getusb.info

If anyone searches for “burn ISO to USB” they will get pages and pages of Rufus links. However, there is a big misconception with Rufus… it doesn’t create USB CD-ROM drives! Review Rufus with us now:

The only thing Rufus does is take a bootable ISO file and write the data to a USB stick. Basically Rufus will extra the data on an ISO file and write it to the flash drive. You can do the same thing with WinRAR.

There is nothing magical about Rufus when it comes to “making a CD” because Rufus doesn’t make a “CD.”

If you need to make a USB CD-ROM flash drive the best solution found so far, is the Disc License drive. The Disc License drive is a blank USB CD-ROM flash drive. Using their Drive Wizard software (free), easily write ISO files to USB. The resultant drive will be a USB CD-ROM flash drive.

Before we get into Disc License technology, we do need to clear up some points about WinRAR and Rufus software. WinRAR will extract all the files contained in an ISO file and write them to your USB flash drive; however, if the ISO is bootable, WinRAR won’t write the boot code. This is where Rufus does shine. The Rufus software will write all the files contained in an ISO file along with the boot code to make your device bootable. With that said, there is a clear advantage for using Rufus over WinRAR.

Does Rufus burn any ISO file to USB? NO.

Does Rufus make your USB flash drive read-only, like a CD? NO.

If the ISO file isn’t bootable, there isn’t much [more] Rufus can offer. A non-bootable image will display an error message saying “This image is either non-bootable, or it uses a boot or compression method that is not supported by Rufus.”

Rufus is truly designed for one thing:

Batocera.linux is an open-source and completely free retro-gaming distribution that can be copied to a USB flash drive or an SD card. Its goal is to turn almost any computer — including small form-factor and nano computers — into a dedicated gaming console, either temporarily or permanently. Batocera.linux runs independently and does not require any modification to your existing operating system. As always, you must legally own the games you play to remain compliant with copyright law.

The Batocera firmware allows you to flash a lightweight, emulation-focused operating system onto a USB flash drive, hard drive, or SD card. That raises an interesting question: what happens if you load Batocera onto a USB flash drive and treat it as a fully portable gaming system? Plug it into almost any Windows PC, boot from USB, and suddenly you have your own personal retro console. That’s exactly what we’re exploring in this video.

The real appeal is portability and consistency. Your entire gaming environment — operating system, emulators, settings, and game library — lives on a single USB drive. No installs, no changes to the host computer, and nothing left behind when you unplug it. This makes Batocera a great option for travel, shared computers, classrooms, or anyone who wants the same retro-gaming setup wherever they go.

CD and DVD optical duplicators have been popular for years; however, with the disc drive no longer sold in computers, the only device left for moving files around are USB flash drives – well, most common device at least. With that in mind, let us provide a USB duplicator review and our observations about them.

So what is the speed of burning a DVD compared to copying to a USB flash drive? With a 16X DVD recorder it will take about 6-7 minutes to burn an entire disc, which is 4.7GBs. A common size DVD duplicator is seven drive system which means 7 copies every 7 minutes. However, today’s file sizes are getting larger and a data load can easily be over 5GBs. A dual layer DVD is 8.5GBs and would take about 27 minutes.

The USB duplicator in this review is a sixtenn target USB 3.0 duplicator manufactured by Nexcopy. This model was selected because it was the most popular in search results, and honestly – looks best for an office setting. This system will make sixteen copies at 1GB under a minute; which translates to 16 copies in less than five minutes. The dual-layer DVD mentioned above would be 9 minutes to make 16 copies. Clearly a USB duplicator is more efficient than a DVD duplicator.

OVERVIEW

Nexcopy’s model in today’s review is the USB160PC. This is a Windows computer based software and hardware solution which runs on Windows 7 or Windows 10. The copy speeds are the same as designated standalone systems. Below is a picture of the PC based system and the standalone system, both about the same port numbering (16).

The USB160PC uses software and provides six copy modes which a company can chose which copy method is best for their needs. Copy modes are:

• File Copy
• Copy Add
• Device Copy – Data Only
• Device Copy – Full Media
• IMG Copy
• Unique Data Streaming

We will cover the copy modes a bit later in the review.

The Drive Manager software by Nexcopy, has a data extraction feature giving the user the ability to extract data off the drive and make a data dump to a location on the host PC.

The PC based USB duplicator is fast and flexible to work with and provides excellent user feedback during the duplication process. The GUI (Graphical User Interface) ties in the obvious information such as USB flash drive total size, bytes used, percentage done during duplication and pass/fail response. Nexcopy uses their own Drive Manager software (trademarked) and provides lifetime software support and updates for free.

The GUI does an excellent job of identifying the USB device shown in the software with the USB socket on the duplicator. This is one problem with any home-grown duplication system, like connecting flash drives to a USB hub – the only way to identify a drive is by disconnecting it until you’ve found the one in question. The USB160PC gives you the tools to quickly identify each USB drive connected.

The bonus information from Drive Manager is the second tab of the GUI. This page shows the device serial number, the VID (Vendor ID) the PID (Product ID) and device descriptor information. The tech folks will appreciate this feature.

HARDWARE

For this USB duplicator review we weighed the duplicator box and it came in just under 5 pounds – so portable! Two LED for feedback along with the GUI software. Blue LED shows power to the socket and green LED displays activity of the device (will blink when reading or writing data). The GUI will provide performance feedback and status about the copy job and process. The power supply is auto-detecting and will automatically work in a 110v or 230v environment, no need to make a manual power setting switch with the physical box. The USB duplicator has a 5v fan on the back side to provide air flow for cooling; although we didn’t experience any heat during testing and operation.

The power supply inside is a 150watt MeanWell brand power block, which is a brand used by medical companies so power will never be an issue. This also means the 150watt power supply can support 16 USB hard drives.

We all know what ransomware is — a type of malware that threatens to publish a victim’s data or permanently block access to it unless a ransom is paid. In most cases, ransomware encrypts the user’s files, and only after payment is made will a decryption key be provided to restore access.

One way to avoid paying a ransom is to restore data from a recent backup. If a company configures its backup software to run nightly, this can be an effective way to recover original files after an attack.

However, there is an even simpler preventative measure: making your PC appear “friendly.” A friendly PC is one that ransomware identifies as a system it should not infect.

To create a friendly PC, use the Windows language settings to install the Russian keyboard layout. When this language option is enabled, most ransomware software will recognize the system as one it should avoid and will not execute the attack.

This language feature is available in Windows 10 and Windows 10 Pro. We do not believe the language option is available in the Windows 10 Home edition.

Learn more about ransomware on Wikipedia.

Using the command prompt (cmd) you can quickly and easily get the USB volume serial number and the USB device serial number. There is no computer experienced needed to perform these functions, simply type a couple letters and you will get the information!

To get the USB Volume Serial Number do the following:

Insert USB flash drive into the computer

Double click the drive letter associated with the USB flash drive (remember the drive letter as you will need this in a moment)

In File Explorer type: cmd

From the command prompt type: vol d: and click Enter ( where “d” is the drive letter of the USB flash drive)

The command prompt window will return the results and look something like this:

The Volume in drive D is named “Nexcopy”

The Volume serial number is 3AAB-AA16

After we explain how to get the USB device serial number we will explain the difference between the two.

To get the USB Device Serial Number do the following:

The fourth industrial revolution or “Industry 4.0” is a term used to categorize today’s trend with industrial control systems (ICS) and how these machines interact with each other and humans.

The fourth era of “industry” combines hardware, software and biology and emphasizes the advancements in communication and connectivity. When the term IoT (Internet of Things) is used, this is the type of example that would apply. Industrial Control System USB Flash Drives designed for ICS security are critical to industrial systems and how they are controlled by their owners. The key when a USB flash drive is introduced into a control system, is security. Without security, one could lose control of the industrial system and ultimately introduce risks into a population or region.

Before we look closer at Industry 4.0 and data storage, let us provide a short summary of the first three phases of the industrial revolution.

First Industrial Revolution

The first industrial revolution was marked by a transition from hand production methods to machines through the use of steam power and water power. The integration of these new technologies took a long time, and spans a period between 1760 and 1840 for Europe and the United States. The first phase had the greatest impact on virtual industrial channels such as textile manufacturing, iron production, agriculture and mining (in general).

Second Industrial Revolution

The Second Industrial Revolution, also known as the Technological Revolution, is the period between

It’s not difficult to add some premium-style functionality to a Roku TV — such as pause and rewind — simply by adding a USB flash drive to your setup.

You’ll need to configure the Roku TV and the flash drive to work together, but the process is straightforward and only takes a few minutes.

To get close to 90 minutes of pause or rewind time, you’ll want to use a 16 GB or larger flash drive. Using something small like a 2 GB or 4 GB USB drive generally isn’t worth the effort.

One important limitation to note: the pause feature only works with the Live TV input. That means you’re limited to content coming in through an antenna or cable connection, not streaming apps.

If that sounds useful, here’s how to set it up.

What you’ll need:

• Roku Smart TV (not a dongle or external box — the Roku OS must be built into the TV)
• Live TV input (antenna or cable)
• Roku TV remote control
• USB flash drive, 16 GB or larger (USB 2.0 or USB 3.0)

Before you begin, make sure there is nothing on the USB flash drive. Roku will format the drive, and any existing files will be permanently erased.

Getting Started

Locate a USB port on your Roku Smart TV. Any USB port will work; they are typically located on the back of the TV. Insert the flash drive into the USB port.

From the Roku home screen, move the cursor until the Live TV tile is highlighted.

Do not select Live TV yet. Instead, open the Options menu. You can do this either by pressing the Gear (Settings) button on the Roku remote, or by pressing the Home button on the remote five times.

In the Options menu, select “Set up Live TV Pause” and follow the on-screen instructions. Part of the setup process includes formatting the USB flash drive so Roku can use it for pause and rewind buffering.

Roku will ask you to confirm the formatting process using a PIN. This step exists to make sure the action is intentional — once the drive is formatted, all previous data on the USB stick will be erased.

Done

Once Live TV Pause is enabled, you can pause live television using the Play/Pause button on the Roku remote. You’ll also be able to rewind live TV by up to about 90 minutes — plenty of time to step away for dinner and come back without missing anything.

Hold USB Flash Drive in a DVD Case

This is a brilliant solution that, after watching the video, will make you say, “This should have come out years ago!”

It is the least expensive — yet most secure way to hold a USB flash drive in a DVD case.

The era of CDs and DVDs is coming to a close, with USB flash drives taking their place. Yet many CD and DVD duplication facilities still have shelves full of DVD jewel cases that need a new purpose. The DVD-to-USB Insert card is a quick, easy, and low-cost solution.

The insert allows users to keep their existing DVD cases and printed artwork exactly the same, while securely holding a USB flash drive inside the case instead of an optical disc.

Many businesses continue to prefer DVD cases because they make excellent storage containers. The case size is practical, and the thick spine provides space to clearly label the contents.

This solution allows you to continue using that same “library-style” organization with the DVD-to-USB Insert card.

As shown in the video above, the insert can securely hold two USB flash drives inside a single DVD case. The DVD-to-USB Insert is made from clear plastic with a thickness of 0.65 mm — the same diameter as a DVD disc.

The clear plastic insert includes two inverted rectangular cutouts designed to hold nearly any USB flash drive. It accommodates drives up to approximately 3 inches long, 3/4 inch wide, and 3/8 inch thick (for metric users: 76 mm long, 21 mm wide, and 9.5 mm deep).

A center hole, the same size as a DVD disc hub, allows the insert to snap securely into the DVD case’s retention clip. Using virtually any standard DVD case on the market, the USB flash drive remains firmly in place and will not fall out during shipping or transit.

To be clear, the DVD-to-USB Insert includes only the clear plastic insert that holds the USB flash drive using the DVD case’s center snap. The DVD case itself is not included, as this solution assumes the user already has DVD case inventory.

This method of securing USB flash drives inside a DVD case does not infringe on patents held by other manufacturers using alternate retention designs.

Please contact USB Copier for more details. USB Copier is a professional USB duplication service company.

There are two popular methods to get large videos off your iPhone.

The most common problem is having a large video on your iPhone that you need on your computer. Email programs usually limit file sizes to around 20 MB, so if the file is larger, what can you do?

Two popular options come to mind: using QuickTime or using a USB flash drive.

Option #1

Use QuickTime. Macs already include QuickTime in the operating system, but Windows users must install it. Before choosing this as your preferred method, here are a few things to consider:

• You must back up your iPhone through QuickTime before accessing the video
• You need an authorized computer to perform the backup
• Windows users must download and install QuickTime
• QuickTime is an invasive program that many Windows users dislike
• This is not a portable way to move videos off your iPhone
• However, this is a free solution

Option #2

Use a flash drive.

Yes, you need to purchase a specific flash drive, but after this one-time investment it becomes far easier to move videos off your iPhone. Some advantages worth considering:

• Transfer large videos without using a PC
• Share videos immediately with another user’s computer
• Use the drive as external storage for video backups

Point number one is really the value in all of this ?.

While you won’t be able to make the transfer immediately without the hardware, once you have the USB device the process is quick and repeatable.

Certain USB drives include software that works with iOS, allowing files to be copied directly from the phone to the drive. The device tested here is the SanDisk iXpand flash drive with 128 GB capacity, which typically costs around $40.

The process is very straightforward:

• Download the iXpand app from the Apple App Store
• Connect the flash drive to your iPhone
• Select the files you want to transfer

Seagate offers a 40 TB expansion solution that is truly plug-and-play. At first glance, 40 TB may seem excessive, but when you break it down into real-world usage and modern content demands, it may not be as much as it sounds.

To illustrate the point, consider a family of four — two parents and two young children, ages two and five.

At that age, video recording happens almost daily. If it doesn’t, those parents are missing out on moments that are nearly impossible to recreate later.

Using an iPhone set to record video at 4K resolution and 24 FPS (frames per second), a one-minute video consumes roughly 270 MB of storage. If a parent records a four-minute video once per day for a year, that results in about 360 GB of data — roughly one-third of a terabyte.

Before continuing, it’s worth noting that the Seagate solution includes software that automatically syncs mobile devices with the storage system. Large videos can be difficult to move off an iPhone without a cloud or streaming backup service, and Seagate provides that capability. We also published an article covering manual transfers using a SanDisk USB iXpand device.

Given the age of the kids, a four-minute video is probably short for whatever funny or chaotic moment is unfolding. Rounding up to ten minutes of video per day, per parent, puts daily storage consumption at roughly 5.5 GB.

You could reduce resolution from 4K down to H.264, but who really wants to do that? High-resolution video is useful for editing, and five years from now today’s 4K footage may feel low resolution.

As the kids get older, they’ll start contributing their own videos to the Seagate storage system. The examples could go on, but the takeaway is simple: as technology improves, the amount of storage required to preserve our digital content grows right alongside it.

As a closing thought, consider how difficult and time-consuming it can be to migrate data from one storage device to a newer, larger one. While a 40 TB expansion may feel like a big purchase today, upgrading from a smaller system later often takes longer — and is more painful — than expected.